USC Suffers Crushing Overtime Defeat vs. Washington in Big Ten Tournament

The USC Trojans were not able to keep their long-shot NCAA Tournament hopes alive, suffering an overtime defeat to the Washington Huskies in the Big Ten tournament.

Mar 11, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman gestures to his team against the Washington Huskies during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans got their Big Ten tournament underway against the Washington Huskies. The No. 13 Trojans lost in overtime by a final score of 83-79 to the No. 12 seeded Huskies. USC has now lost eight straight games to fall to 18-14 on the season.

USC was in control for most of the game and led by as many as 13 points in the second half. Then the wheels came off and Washington started to feel it from deep. USC was led by guard Kam Woods, who had 24 points on 10/22 shooting from the field. Woods had a chance to give USC the lead in the last seconds of overtime, but his turnaround eight-footer was off the mark.

Washington was led by guard Zoom Diallo, who had 22 points, 11 assists, and seven assists.

Mar 11, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Southern California Trojans guard Ryan Cornish (9) defends Washington Huskies guard Zoom Diallo (5) during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Overtime

End of Game: USC guard Jordan Marsh missed game-tying three. Washington seals the game at the line to win 83-79.

0:11: Woods misses tough shot to take lead. Trojans foul and now find themselves down 82-79 with the ball out of the timeout needing a three.

2:00: Teams trading leads through first three minutes of overtime. Washington leads 77-76.

2nd Half

End of Regulation: USC comes out of the timeout in a tie game. Woods misses the go-ahead jumper. Overtime with the score at 71-71.

2:32: Washington now 10/27 from deep. Huskies and Trojans now tied up at 69.

8:05: A furious Huskies comeback has tightened this game up. USC leading 61-60

12:00: Washigton run causes USC to call timeout. Trojans lead down to 58-52.

15:33: A couple easy USC buckets extends the lead to 51-40 going into the under-16 media break.

18:04: Washington calls timeout after they knock down a three. 45-36 USC.

1st Half

End of Half: Three-pointers starting to fall for each team. Trojans enter the half up 40-33. USC forward Jacob Cofie leading the way with 12 points on 4/5 shooting.

3:54: Back and forth game so far. USC guard Alijah Arenas struggling from the floor, shooting 1/6 from the field, but Trojans lead 30-25.

7:32: Six different Trojans and six different Huskies have scored so far. Trojans up 18-17.

11:03: USC guard Ryan Cornish out to a hot start with 6 points. USC leads 14-13.

18:16: USC guard Kam Woods gets the scoring going with a couple layups, 4-2 Trojans out of the gates.

PREGAME

USC vs. Washington Game Preview 

Mar 4, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Southern California Trojans guard Cam Woods (13) guards Washington Huskies guard Zoom Diallo (5) during the second half at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

USC is reeling coming into the Big Ten tournament. The Trojans have lost seven straight games and have completely fallen out of theprojected NCAA Tournament field. Just weeks ago, USC had an 18-6 overall record and looked primed to make their first NCAA Tournament since 2023. Barring a deep run the Big Ten tournament, they will miss the field of 68 for the third consecutive season.

USC is now 18-13 overall and 7-13 in Big Ten conference play. 

What makes this especially disappointing is the great start to the season. USC flew through non-conference play, going undefeated. This included winning the championship at the Maui Invitational Tournament. The last team to win the Maui Invitational and not make the NCAA tournament was the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the 2017-18 season.

Mar 7, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans forward Jaden Brownell (33), forward Terrance Williams II (5), forward Jacob Cofie (6) and guard Alijah Arenas (0) react after the game against the UCLA Bruins at the Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

USC has battled injuries to their top scorers all season. Leading scorer, guard Rodney Rice (20.3 points per game) suffered a season ending shoulder injury in December. Guard Chad Baker-Mazara (18.5 points per game) was battling injuries in February before leaving the team. Then there is freshman guard Alijah Arenas (14.8 points per game). 

Arenas missed the first two and a half months of a season while recovering from a torn meniscus suffered in the offseason. Luckily for USC, he has been playing well of late and will be in the lineup against the Huskies. 

Washington on the other hand is 15-16 overall this season with a record of 7-13 in Big Ten play. The Huskies, like the Trojans, will need to go on a deep run and most likely win the Big Ten tournament to secure the conference’s auto-bid in the tournament. 

Mar 7, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Washington Huskies forward Hannes Steinbach (6) drives to the basket against Oregon Ducks forward Kwame Evans Jr. (10) during the first half at Matthew Knight Arena. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

The Huskies are led by forward Hannes Steinbach, who averages 18.6 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. 

USC and Washignton played twice already this season, with the Huskies winning both of them

USC Injury Report

Rodney Rice, Guard: OUT
Amarion Dickerson, Guard : OUT

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